Construction knowledge survey

Press release: 1 November 2018

[You can see the results of the survey here.]

[edit] Call for input. Do you have access to the knowledge you need?

Is google your go-to source for construction industry knowledge, or do you find the answers you need on your company’s in-house knowledge management system? Are you frustrated by documents that are too long to read, or baffled by complex technical language? Do you give up when you’re faced with a sign-up form?

The Construction Knowledge Task Group (CKTG) wants to know what you think about the state of industry knowledge, and is asking people from across the industry to fill in a quick online survey which will generate invaluable insights and help guide the knowledge of the future.

Construction knowledge is a vital industry asset that helps spread best practice, promote research and innovation and prevent mistakes. But a recent poll suggested three quarters of practitioners don’t have easy access to the knowledge they need to do their job. This may be because they are unaware of what is available, it is inaccessible, it is in an unhelpful format, or it is difficult to understand and apply. As a result, knowledge has less impact on the ground than it should, the industry does not perform as well as it could, and avoidable mistakes are made. 93% of practitioners believe that improving knowledge is very important or extremely important for the industry.

The Construction Knowledge Task Group is calling for your input so it can take the right steps to make knowledge better. This important survey will build a picture of the knowledge practitioners need, where they go to find it, and what stands in their way.

Architect, Dr Gregor Harvie, convenor of the task group said; “A lot of knowledge is still produced as if we’re in the 19th century and it’s destined to sit on a shelf. We need to modernise our knowledge in the same way that BIM has modernised data and information. The feedback we get from this survey will help us take the first steps in the right direction.”

Please take a little time out of your day to make the industry better, and complete the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/constructionknowledge

The survey will close on Friday 30 November.

[edit] Notes

The Construction Knowledge Task Group (CKTG) was established in 2018 to make it as easy as possible for practitioners and other industry stakeholders to find, access and apply the right knowledge at the right time. It was convened following research carried out in 2017 that suggested there was a significant difference between the knowledge practitioners need and the knowledge the industry produces.

Its members include representatives from; the Construction Leadership Council, CIOB, ICE, RIBA, RICS, i3P, BSRIA, CIAT, CIBSE, UKGBC, BRE, Arup, Rider Levett Bucknall, University of Dundee, Polypipe, The Get It Right Initiative, Cundall and Stroma.

You can find out more about the Construction Knowledge Task Group at https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_knowledge_task_group